POSITION-VARIABLE VEHICLE AERODYNAMICS MODULE WITH DEFORMABLE CONNECTING STRUCTURE

Abstract

The present invention concerns a position-variable motorized vehicle aerodynamics module (12), comprising: A flow component (14) which is configured to be subjected to an incident flow or surrounding flow of an airstream (F), A bracket (22), which is configured for fixed attachment to a structure (20) fixed to a vehicle, A power unit (28), which is configured to displace the flow component (14) between at least two different operating positions relative to the bracket (22) under normal operating conditions, A connecting structure (36), which the flow component (14) connects with the power unit (28) in a force- and movement-transmitting manner, and A guiding arrangement (26), which guides the displacement movement of the flow component (14) between the at least two operating positions,

Where the connecting structure (36) is configured, in the event of a force being transmitted to the flow component (14) through collision with a solid body (42), to allow through deformation an evasive movement of the flow component (14) relative to the bracket (22).

According to the invention it is provided that the connecting structure (36) is part of the guiding arrangement (26), where the evasive movement differs from the displacement under normal operating conditions.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A position-variable motorized vehicle aerodynamics module, comprising: A flow component which is configured to be subjected to an incident flow or surrounding flow of an airstream, A bracket, which is configured for fixed attachment to a structure fixed to a vehicle, A power unit, which is configured to displace the flow component between at least two different operating positions relative to the bracket under normal operating conditions, A connecting structure, which connects the flow component with the power unit in a force- and movement-transmitting manner, and A guiding arrangement, which guides the displacement movement of the flow component between the at least two operating positions, Where the connecting structure is configured, in the event of a force being transmitted to the flow component through collision with a solid body, to allow through deformation an evasive movement of the flow component relative to the bracket, Where the connecting structure is part of the guiding arrangement, where the evasive movement differs from the displacement under normal operating conditions.

15. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 14, wherein the evasive movement proceeds along a trajectory that differs from the displacement under normal operating conditions with regard to a direction of movement.

16. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 15, wherein the evasive movement comprises or is a bending or kinking movement performed about a bending or kinking axis respectively located outside the guiding arrangement.

17. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 14, wherein the evasive movement comprises or is a bending or kinking movement performed about a bending or kinking axis respectively located outside the guiding arrangement.

18. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 14, wherein the connecting structure exhibits a first section which interacts directly with a guiding formation of the guiding arrangement for guiding the displacement under normal operating conditions and that the connecting structure exhibits a second section differing from the first section, which is deformable for allowing the evasive movement.

19. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 18, wherein the second section is arranged nearer by the flow component than the first section regardless of the operating position of the flow component.

20. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 19, wherein the connecting structure exhibits at least in the second section a rod-like shape.

21. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 20, wherein the rod-like shape is a tubular shape.

22. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 18, wherein the connecting structure exhibits at least in the second section a rod-like shape.

23. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to one of the claim 20, wherein the second section is formed of a different material than the first section.

24. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to one of the claim 18, wherein the second section is formed of a different material than the first section.

25. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 24, wherein the flow component exhibits an inflow lip configured to be subjected to incident flow by the airstream, where the second section is formed from the same material as the inflow lip.

26. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 23, wherein the flow component exhibits an inflow lip configured to be subjected to incident flow by the airstream, where the second section is formed from the same material as the inflow lip.

27. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 14, wherein the displacement under normal operating conditions is a translational motion of the flow component.

28. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 27, wherein the guiding arrangement comprises a sliding guide.

29. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 18, wherein the guiding formation is a guide bushing or guide shell surrounding the first section.

30. The vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 14, wherein the flow component is an air dam.

31. A motorized vehicle with a vehicle aerodynamics module according to claim 14.

Description

[0033] The present invention is elucidated in more detail below by reference to the attached drawings. The drawings show:

[0034] FIG. 1 A rough schematic view of the invention's vehicle aerodynamics module in a first, retracted operating position,

[0035] FIG. 2 A rough schematic view of the vehicle's aerodynamics module of FIG. 1 in a second, extended operating position, and

[0036] FIG. 3 A rough schematic view of the vehicle's aerodynamics module of FIG. 2 following an evasive movement as a consequence of a collision of the flow component of the aerodynamics module with an external object.

[0037] In FIGS. 1 to 3, an embodiment of the invention's vehicle aerodynamics module arranged at a vehicle 10 is denoted generally by 12. The observer of FIGS. 1 to 3 looks along the vehicle's transverse axis Q which is orthogonal to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 1, along which the longitudinal axis of the flow component 14 of the vehicle aerodynamics module 12 proceeds.

[0038] The vehicle 10 exhibits in rough schematic form a front fairing 16, a carrier 18, and a fixing formation 20 protruding from the carrier 18 and fixed firmly to the vehicle for attaching the aerodynamics module 12.

[0039] The vehicle's transverse axis Q corresponds in other nomenclature to the pitch axis of the vehicle 10. Likewise are depicted the vehicle's longitudinal axis L, which corresponds to the roll axis of the vehicle 10, and the vehicle's vertical axis R, which corresponds to the yaw axis of the vehicle 10. The forward travel direction of the vehicle 10 is depicted by the arrow V. Accordingly, during forward travel airstream flows along the direction of the opposite arrow F towards the vehicle 10.

[0040] In the depicted example, the flow component 14 is an air dam or front spoiler, which can be lowered towards a road along the movement trajectory B from the retracted operating position of FIG. 1 away from the vehicle's body, for instance away from the front fairing 16, the carrier 18, or the firmly vehicle-attached fixing formation 20. In the depicted example, the flow component 14 is situated in front of the front wheels of the vehicle 10 and screens them partly against the inflowing airstream F. In the first, retracted operating position, the flow component 14 is situated, in the inflow direction, behind the front fairing 16 in its wind shadow and consequently is aerodynamically inactive.

[0041] The aerodynamics module 12 comprises a bracket 22, which in the depicted example is connected firmly with the firmly vehicle-attached fixing formation 20. The bracket 22 is configured integrally, for example by means of injection molding, with an outer guide bushing 24 of a guiding arrangement 26 for guiding the displacement under normal operating conditions of the flow component 14 along the movement trajectory B between the retracted operating position of FIG. 1 and the extended operating position of FIG. 2.

[0042] At the outer guide bushing 24 there is arranged a power unit 28 which in the present case is a spindle drive, but does not have to be one. The power unit 28 sets a spindle nut, which is not depicted and is not displaceable along the movement trajectory B, in rotation about a spindle axis S which in the depicted embodiment example is collinear with the movement trajectory B. The spindle moved by the spindle nut along the movement trajectory B is not depicted in the drawings. However, there is discernible an elongated frustoconical housing part 30, which screens the movement space of the spindle along the movement trajectory B towards the outside.

[0043] The flow component 14 exhibits an inflow lip 32, on which the inflowing airstream F impinges. The inflow lip 32 has an impingement surface or control surface 32a facing towards the airstream F, which is curved concavely with respect to the vehicle's transverse direction Q and which is curved convexly with respect to the vehicle's vertical direction H, when viewed from the inflow direction of the airstream F.

[0044] The flow component 14 is connected with a tubular strut 34 which as a connecting structure 36 connects the flow component with the power unit 28 and which with its section located inside the guide bushing 24 is part of the guiding arrangement 26. The section of the tubular strut 34 located inside the guide bushing 24 forms with the guide bushing 24 a sliding guide for guiding the flow component along the movement trajectory B.

[0045] FIG. 2 depicts the vehicle 10 again in rough schematic form with the aerodynamics module 12, where the flow component 14 is now situated in the second, extended operating position. The flow component 14 takes up this second operating position as intended when the vehicle 10 travels forward at a predetermined threshold speed or faster. The straight movement trajectory B is also the tube axis of the tubular strut 34.

[0046] The tubular strut 34 exhibits a first section 38, which in the second operating position also is still for the most part situated in the guide bushing 24 and/or is surrounded radially on the outside by the guide bushing 24, respectively. To the first section 38 there is connected towards the flow component 14 a second section 40, which exhibits a lower bending stiffness about a bending axis parallel to the vehicle's transverse axis Q than the first section 38. The lower bending stiffness can be effected by forming the second section 40 from a different material than the first section 38. For example, the second section 40 can be made from a thermoplastic elastomer, the first section 38 on the other hand from a non-elastomeric synthetic, such as for example polyamide. In order to increase the strength of the material of the first section 38, it can be filled, for example with glass fibers or glass spheres or generally with particles or fibers. The tubular strut 34 can be fabricated in a two-component injection molding process, where the second section 40 is fabricated preferably integrally and in one injection molding step with the flow component 14 or at least with the inflow lip 32. In FIG. 2, a dotted line just below the guide bushing 24 indicates the boundary between the first section 38 and the second section 40.

[0047] Additionally or alternatively to the different choice of material, the second section 40 can be configured with a component cross-section which exhibits lower bending stiffness about a bending axis parallel to the vehicle's transverse axis Q, in particular about a kinking axis K that in the depicted example is located outside the guiding arrangement 26, than a different component cross-section of the first section 38.

[0048] If, from the direction of the arrow F a solid body 42, for instance a stone or a road-attached protrusion impinges at sufficiently high speed on the inflow lip 32, the flow component 14 evades the collision along the evasion trajectory A in a bending or kinking movement about the kinking axis K.

[0049] FIG. 3 depicts the inflow lip 32 at the end of its collision-induced evasive movement about the kinking axis K. Through the deformation of the second section 40 during the evasive movement, the bending stiffness of the second section 40 is reduced with increasing evasive movement, which facilitates the evasive movement of the inflow lip 32 and of the flow component 14 overall in such a way that starting from a particular deformation of the second section 40, a decreasing force action suffices for a continuation of the evasive movement.

[0050] Through the deformation of only the second section 40, the guiding arrangement 26 inclusive of the first section 38 and the power unit 28 remain intact.

[0051] Depending on the extent of the deformation, after discontinuation of the collision-induced external force the flow component 14 can reset itself elastically by means of the second section 40 into the second operating position shown in FIG. 2 or a plastic residual deformation can continue to exist at the second section 40. In this case, it would be necessary to replace the flow component 14 with the tubular strut 34. Alternatively, it is conceivable for the second section 40 to be connected detachably by design with the first section 38, such that after a sufficiently severe collision with plastic deformation of the second section 40 it is necessary to replace only the flow component 14 with the second section 40 that is molded integrally with it.